JP5623412B2 - Lower limb joint orthosis and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lower limb joint orthosis suitable for use by a paralyzed person who is paralyzed in the lower limb, in particular, a foot, and a control method thereof.

  There are two types of paralysis of the foot: hemiplegia in which one leg is mainly paralyzed due to stroke, etc., and paraplegia in which both legs are paralyzed in many cases due to spinal cord injury, etc. Even so, walking on its own is often difficult or impossible. Therefore, when these paralyzed persons walk, some kind of auxiliary equipment is required. Conventionally, this auxiliary tool is a splint that is fixed from the lower leg to the foot.

  According to this, it is possible to stabilize the standing position and to prevent the toes from falling and crawling when the foot part is separated from the ground when stepping on, but it has no joint function, so the ankle accompanying the movement of the body center of gravity It was not possible to absorb the shock at the time of foot flexion and foot contact. Therefore, walking with this assistive device puts a lot of burden on the body, and the paralyzed person refrains from walking on his own or with light care with the assisting device, and as a result, improved walking function It wasn't done either.

  In Patent Document 1 below, there is seen a lower limb joint orthosis that incorporates a hinge mechanism in the ankle portion, but this prior example is a device in which a device for assisting independence is given a turning function. However, the rotation range is limited to a very narrow range, and it does not correspond to a wide angle from landing to stepping on. In addition, the locking and unlocking of the hinge mechanism is incorporated, but the operation has to operate the lock member, which is complicated and troublesome.

  Therefore, the present applicant provides a rotary cylinder enclosing MR fluid whose viscosity is changed by a magnetic force at an ankle joint portion, an upper structure body that is attached to the lower limb of the rotor and stator, and a lower structure body that supports the foot section, To adjust the viscosity of the MR fluid by adjusting the magnetic force according to the transition of the weight on the sole of the foot during walking, and flexing and stretching the ankle (turning the foot up and down with respect to the ankle) Patent Document 2 below proposes a technique for freely moving (this is called free) from impossible or semi-impossible (this is called locking). However, with this technique, the structure of the lower limb joint orthosis is complicated, and there is a tendency that the size is increased.

JP 2001-299790 A JP 2006-087559 A

  The present invention is a further improvement of the invention of the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, which makes the structure simpler and more compact, and enables operation agility and high output.

Under the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the lower structure 1 supporting the foot and the upper structure 2 mounted on the lower limb by the joint 5 at a position corresponding to the ankle joint. The joint 5 is connected to the lower limb so as to be able to bend and stretch, and the viscosity of the joint 5 is changed by a magnetic force to a plurality of fluid chambers 11 formed in a sector shape by partitioning a short cylindrical sealed space from its center in the circumferential direction. A stator 3 enclosing MR fluid and attached to either the lower structure 1 or the upper structure 2 , and a shaft portion set at a joint position and rotatably supported at the center of the stator 3 12 and the rotor 4 having a partition plate 13 that secures a front chamber 14 and a rear chamber 15 in the front and rear in each fluid chamber 11 disposed around the shaft portion 12. configured, particular fluid chamber to said stator 3 11 The communication passage 17 that communicates the front chamber 14 and rear chamber 15 provided with a distance from the fluid chamber 11, contact to contact each front chamber 14 and between the rear chamber 15 of the respective fluid chambers 11 on the shaft portion 12 of the rotor 4 the passage 20 is provided, arranged electromagnet 25 on the side surface of the communicating passage 17, the communication passage 17 to control the viscosity of the MR fluid flowing by adjusting the magnetic force based on the electric power supplied to the electromagnet 25, the lower structure 1 A lower limb joint orthosis characterized by adjusting the rotational resistance of the upper structure 2 is provided.

Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, the lower structure 1 that supports the foot and the upper structure 2 that is attached to the lower limb are connected by a joint 26 at a position corresponding to the ankle joint. a lower limb joint brace that bending linked to vertical body, after the joint 26, a cylinder 28 enclosing the MR fluid viscosity is changed by magnetic force in the cylinder chamber 27, the front chamber 29 back and forth in the cylinder chamber 27 A piston 31 that is inserted with the chamber 30 secured is provided. One end of the cylinder 28 or the piston 31 is set as a joint position, and a communication passage 36 that communicates the front chamber 29 and the rear chamber 30 of the cylinder chamber 27 is provided. another provided outside of the cylinder chamber 27, disposed an electromagnet 37 on the side surface of the communicating passage 36, the communication passage 36 to control the viscosity of the MR fluid flowing by adjusting the magnetic force based on the electric power supplied to the electromagnet 37 Providing leg joint orthosis, characterized in that to adjust the rotational resistance of the lower structure 1 and the upper structure 2.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a control method for a lower limb joint orthosis as described above, wherein the rotational resistance of the rotor 4 and the stator 3 or the advance / retreat resistance of the piston 31 and the cylinder 28 is controlled. A lower limb joint orthosis in which a sensor for detecting a load is attached to the back surface of the lower structure 1 , and the resistance is controlled by adjusting the power supplied to the electromagnets 25 and 37 according to the output of the sensor. A control method is provided.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the MR fluid cylinder is a rotary type, and in this case, a plurality of fluid chambers for enclosing the MR fluid are provided. Therefore, the lock of the foot joint is obtained by changing the viscosity of the MR fluid. This makes it more sharp and free, and can increase output and reduce size. Further, since the adjustment of the viscosity of the MR fluid is based on the magnetic force of the electromagnet, the structure is simplified and the control is facilitated. Since the invention of claim 4 is a reciprocating type MR cylinder, the structure is simplified, and according to the invention of claim 6, the lower structure according to the bent state of the ankle in the posture of the leg during walking Since the rotational resistance between the body and the upper structure can be automatically controlled, it is possible to move the body close to the ankle joint.

It is a side view of the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 1st Example. It is a rear view of the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 1st Example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the joint which comprises the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 1st Example. It is a right view of the joint which comprises the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 1st Example. It is a left view of the joint which comprises the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 1st Example. It is a cross-sectional view of a joint constituting the lower limb joint orthosis according to the first embodiment. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is a side view of the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 2nd Example. It is a rear view of the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 2nd Example. It is sectional drawing of the coupling which comprises the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 2nd Example. It is a side view of the joint which comprises the leg joint orthosis which concerns on a 2nd Example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a side view of a lower limb joint orthosis having an ankle joint function according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear view, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a joint constituting the lower limb joint orthosis, and FIG. 5 is a left side view, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view.

  The lower limb joint orthosis (hereinafter also simply referred to as “orthor”) in this example is an MR fluid cylinder that is a rotary cylinder, and includes a lower structure 1 that can be supported by placing a sole, and an upper portion that is attached to the lower limb. The structural body 2 is connected by a joint 5 composed of a stator 3 and a rotor 4. 1 and 2 show a state where the cover 50 is mounted on the surface of the joint 5.

  The lower component 1 includes a shoe-like footrest portion 6 and lower struts 7 standing on the left and right sides of the footrest portion 6 (when worn). The upper component 2 is an attachment body 8 that can be attached to the lower limb. And an upper support column 9 that hangs down on both the left and right sides (at the time of mounting) of the mounting body 8. The wearing of this bracelet is carried out in the manner of wearing boots. The foot is inserted into the footrest 6 (at this time, the upper is held with a band or the like), and the wearer 8 is worn on the lower leg. is there. In the case of a hemiplegic person, the brace of the present invention is attached to the lower limb of the paralyzed person, and in the case of a paraplegic person, both of the lower limbs are attached.

  The stator 3 is fixed to the upper support column 9 and has three fluid chambers 11 formed in a fan shape by dividing a short cylindrical sealed space surrounded by a casing 3 a in the circumferential direction by three weir bodies 10. The fluid chamber 11 is filled with an MR fluid which will be described later. The weir body 10 is fixed in the casing 3a via a knock pin 10a, and a packing 40 made of a fluororesin or the like is provided on the contact surface between the weir body 10 and the casing 3a to maintain liquid tightness. It is attached to the entire circumference of the body 10.

  In this example, three fluid chambers 11 are provided in the stator 3, but the number of fluid chambers 11 provided in the stator 3 may be two, or four or more. It may be.

  The rotor 4 is fixed to the lower support column 7 (the attachment of the stator 3 and the rotor 4 may be reversed), and a shaft portion 12 that is rotatably inserted into the center of the stator 3; A partition plate 13 that projects radially from the shaft portion 12 and enters each fluid chamber 11 is provided. Therefore, the partition plate 13 partitions each fluid chamber 11 into a front chamber 14 and a rear chamber 15. If it is such a structure, even if it tries to rotate the axial part 12, MR fluid with which the front chamber 14 and the back chamber 15 are filled does not rotate because there is no escape space. A packing 42 made of a fluororesin or the like is also attached to the partition plate 13 of the rotor 4 on the sliding surface of the stator 3 with the casing 3a in order to maintain liquid tightness. Further, reference numeral 44 in FIG. 3 denotes a magnetic seal wound around the entire circumference of the shaft portion 12.

  Therefore, as described above, the MR fluid filled in the front chamber 14 and the rear chamber 15 does not have a refuge and the rotor 4 cannot rotate, so that the chamber wall 16 of the stator 3 is specified at a position away from the fluid chamber 11. A communication passage 17 that communicates the front chamber 14 and the rear chamber 15 of the fluid chamber 11 is provided. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC. Two independent arc-shaped passages 19 respectively connected to the rear chamber 15 through the guide passages 18 are provided, and a band-like region formed between the arc-shaped passages 19 is defined as a communication passage 17. In this case, the width of the communication passage 17 is set shorter than the arc length of the arc-shaped passage 19.

  If this communication passage 17 is formed in the front chamber 14 and the rear chamber 15 of all the fluid chambers 11, the MR fluid in each front chamber 14 or the rear chamber 15 flows between the rear chamber 15 or the front chamber 14. Therefore, the partition plate 13, that is, the shaft portion 12, can be rotated. However, if the communication passages 17 are provided in all the fluid chambers 11, the configuration becomes complicated and there is a problem of space. For this reason, in this example, the communication path 20 which connects the front chambers 14 of each fluid chamber 11 and the rear chambers 5 is provided in the shaft part 12 of the rotor 4. The communication passage 20 is divided into two for the front chamber 14 and one for the rear chamber 15 and is configured in two rows in the axial direction of the shaft portion 12.

  Thus, if the rotor 4 is to be moved forward (rotated clockwise in FIG. 6), the MR fluid in the front chamber 14 of the specific fluid chamber 11 passes through the guide passage 18, the arc-shaped passage 19 and the communication passage 17. While flowing into the chamber 14, the MR fluid in the front chamber 14 of the other fluid chamber 11 flows into the rear chamber 15 through the communication passage 20 and finally flows into the rear chamber 15 of the specific fluid chamber 11. Therefore, the shaft portion 12, that is, the rotor 4 can be rotated. On the other hand, when the rotor 4 is moved backward, the MR fluid follows the reverse path.

  Note that the MR fluid expands due to a temperature change or the like and the internal pressure of the fluid chamber 11 rises, and the MR fluid may leak from the fluid chamber 11. Therefore, in this example, a buffer chamber 21 is provided by opening on the side surface of the weir body 10, and a spring 22 having a spring coefficient stronger than the internal pressure during operation of the fluid chamber 11 is disposed therein. An adjustment plate 23 that is ejected and slides in the buffer chamber 21 is provided on the opening side of the buffer chamber 21, and when the internal pressure of the fluid chamber 11 rises excessively, the MR fluid is caused to flow into the buffer chamber 21 to cause the fluid chamber 11. From leaking out to the outside.

  By the way, the fact that the stator 3 and the rotor 4 can rotate relative to each other means that the lower structure 1 and the upper structure 2 can rotate (bend and stretch of the ankle). The bending resistance varies depending on the magnetic force applied to the MR fluid, and it will be described later how much rotational resistance is set when and when walking. In this case, the joint 5 is incorporated into the lower support column 7 and the upper support column 9 outside the lower limbs, and the shaft portion 12 of the rotor 4 at this time is set at the ankle joint position. On the other hand, the inner lower support column 7 and the upper support column 9 also need to be able to rotate, so that they are pivotally attached by a pin 24 concentric with the shaft portion 12.

  If an electromagnet 25 (25a is a power line) is arranged on the side surface of the communication passage 17 so as to surround it, the viscosity of the MR fluid flowing through the communication passage 17 can be adjusted by adjusting the electric power supplied to the electromagnet 25. Thus, the rotational resistance of the lower structure 1 and the upper structure 2 can be controlled. For this reason, the communication path 17 is made close to the electromagnet 25, and the surface facing the electromagnet 25 is widened to form a shallow groove so as to react sensitively to the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet 25. In addition, the electromagnet 25 is a circular magnet that follows the shape of the communication passage 17.

  In order to exhibit the above performance, it is preferable that members adjacent to the MR fluid, such as the stator 3 and the rotor 4, be made of a nonmagnetic material such as aluminum. Further, in addition to the stator 3 and the rotor 4 made entirely of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum, only the portion that contacts the MR fluid is formed of a non-magnetic metal material such as aluminum, and is not in contact with the MR fluid. You may make it comprise the part in which abrasion resistance is not requested | required with synthetic resins, such as a thermoplastic resin. Thus, by hybridizing the nonmagnetic metal material and the synthetic resin, the joint 5 can be mass-produced economically, and further weight reduction of the joint 5 can be achieved. Furthermore, a wear-resistant coating layer made of DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) or the like may be provided on the surfaces of the stator 3 and the rotor 4 that are in contact with the MR fluid.

  By the way, the MR fluid (Magneto-Rheological-Fluid) described above is a magnetic fluid in which magnetic powder is mixed with a viscous fluid. When magnetism is applied to this fluid, the MR fluid stiffens and exhibits a solid function. Thus, it does not flow, and when released, it has a characteristic that the rigidity is released and it flows freely. In other words, it refers to a fluid whose viscosity changes according to the magnetic force applied. This MR fluid is well known from LORD and is commercially available under trade names such as MRF-132AD and MRF-122-2ED.

  Next, the movement of the joint 5 when the paralyzed person wearing the above brace 1 walks will be described. The ankle of the living body varies in bending and stretching depending on the posture of the leg. Do it. That is, after the foot is stepped on and the back surface of the footrest portion 4 of the lower component 2 is landed on the ground (mid-stage stance), the upper component 3 is sequentially moved forward with respect to the lower component 2 as the body weight moves. Go to bend. That is, the rotation of the joint 5 needs to be free to some extent during the middle stance phase to the stance phase. On the other hand, when the foot part is lifted and the footrest part 4 is separated from the ground (swing leg period), an acute angle state (the dorsiflexion position) which is an angle of the upper structure 3 with respect to the lower structure 2 at the moment of separation. ) Is preferably maintained. That is, the joint 5 needs to be locked during the free leg period.

  This is a case of a severely paralyzed person. Otherwise, the joint 5 rotates with the weight of the foot or the like, the toes fall, and the crawler falls and falls. In this respect, the following description is for a state in which the rotation of the joint 5 is locked and a free state. The lock and free rotation of the joint 5 can be controlled by the viscosity of the MR fluid flowing in the communication passage 17, and this is performed by adjusting the power (voltage or current) supplied to the electromagnet 25. If the electric power supplied to the electromagnet 25 is increased, a large magnetic force is applied to the MR fluid to increase its viscosity, and the rotational resistance of the joint 5 increases. Conversely, if the electric power is decreased, the rotational resistance decreases. .

  Therefore, the magnetic force should be reduced during the stance phase and increased during the swing phase, but it is actually impossible for the wearer of the brace to operate this. Therefore, a sensor (not shown) for determining whether or not the footrest part 4 is grounded is provided, and thereby the magnetic force of the electromagnet 25 is adjusted. This sensor may detect the rotation angle of the shaft part 12 or detect the ground height of the footrest part 4, but in the present invention, a simple and reliable load meter is used. This is attached to the back surface of the footrest 4.

  This load meter is used to determine whether or not a load (body weight) is applied to the footrest 6, and an output (voltage) corresponding to strain or displacement such as a strain meter or a displacement meter is obtained. Therefore, the output of the load cell is measured, and the electric power corresponding to this output is set as a setting condition for the electric power supplied to the electromagnet 25. Accordingly, the output from the load meter fluctuates during the stance phase, a small electric power is supplied to the electromagnet 25, the magnetic force is weakened and the viscosity of the MR fluid is reduced, and the lower structure 1 is compared with the upper structure 2. It can rotate relatively freely (ankle can bend and stretch). On the other hand, in the swing phase, the situation is the opposite (ankle bending and stretching is limited), but the angle of the ankle at this time can maintain the posture at the moment when the footrest part 6 leaves the ground. Become. In this way, even a paralyzed person can walk smoothly.

  In this case, it is possible to provide a large number of sensors with an appropriate distribution on the back surface of the footrest 6 so as to determine which sensor has reacted. According to this, since each output from each sensor sequentially changes in each step of the stepping phase, a different magnetic force can be generated in each step, and the movement closer to the ankle of the living body can be achieved.

  The above is a case where the rotation of the joint 5 is completely free in the stance phase, but when the paralysis is more severe, on the contrary, the paralysis is mild or in the recovery phase, It may be preferable to allow the joint 5 to rotate under some resistance. For example, in the case of a severely paralyzed person who is difficult to stand independently in the stance phase, if the joint 5 is made to be able to rotate completely freely, the person may fall. On the other hand, when there is mild paralysis or in the recovery period, it may be easy to cross the paralysis side by giving resistance to the rotation of the joint 5 in the stepping period.

  This is also the case during the free leg period, and it is preferable that a certain amount of force is required to hold the joint 5 in the dorsiflexion position without completely locking the rotation of the joint 5 during the free leg period. Sometimes. More specifically, when this is applied to a paralyzed person who is in a recovery period, it also becomes a training to generate a force for locking, and the walking function is enhanced. As described above, in any case, the power supplied to the electromagnet 25 may be adjusted based on the output from the sensor. In the rotary type cylinder of this example, three fluid chambers 11 are formed so that the partition plate 13, that is, the rotor 4 can be rotated by 60 ° at the maximum. This is because the angle of bending and stretching of the ankle joint of a living body is the same, and a large number of cylinder chambers 11 can be formed to increase the range of control of rotational resistance.

  FIG. 10 is a side view of the orthosis having the ankle function according to the second embodiment, FIG. 11 is a rear view, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an ankle joint constituting the orthosis, and FIG. 13 is a side view. In this example, the MR fluid cylinder according to the joint 26 is a reciprocating cylinder. Specifically, the cylinder chamber 27 is composed of a cylinder 28 in which MR fluid is sealed, and a piston 31 that is inserted into the cylinder chamber 27 with a front chamber 29 and a rear chamber 30 secured in front and rear, and protrudes from the cylinder 28. One end of the piston rod 31a is pivotally connected to an arm 33 fixed to a connecting shaft 32 that pivotally attaches the lower component 1 and the upper component 2 with a connecting pin 34, and the other end of the cylinder 28 is attached to the upper component 2. Concatenated. The attachment may be reversed as in the first embodiment, and the inner lower structure 1 and the upper structure 2 are pivotally connected by a pin 24 concentric with the connecting shaft 32. The same is true.

  MR fluid is similarly sealed in the front chamber 29 and the rear chamber 30 of the cylinder chamber 27, and a communication passage 36 that connects the front chamber 29 and the rear chamber 30 is formed on the chamber wall 35 of the cylinder 28. The electromagnet 37 (37a is a power line) is arranged in the. The communication passage 36 of this example is communicated with a central transfer passage 39 through a communication hole 38, and this transfer passage 39 is brought close to the electromagnet 37 in order to react sensitively to the magnetic force of the electromagnet 37, and The surface facing the electromagnet 37 is wide to form a shallow groove. In addition, the electromagnet 37 is a rectangular magnet that surrounds the transit passage 39.

  Thereby, by adjusting the electric power supplied to the electromagnet 37, the viscosity of the MR fluid can be changed, and the advance / retreat resistance of the piston 31, that is, the rotational resistance of the lower component 1 and the upper component 2 can be adjusted. In addition, about attaching a sensor to the back surface of the lower structure 1, control at this time, etc. are the same as the case of the above-mentioned 1st Example. According to this example, since the MR fluid cylinder can be made a normal reciprocating type, there is an advantage that the structure is simplified. Moreover, since there are two connection points, the lower leg and the foot can be rotated to some extent by devising the connection structure.

  The above-mentioned lower limb joint orthosis has an ankle joint with a joint function, but may have a joint function with a knee joint. In this case, the ankle function is sealed and the lower component 1 is extended to the vicinity of the knee, and the upper component 2 is attached to the upper thigh (the shaft portion 12 is set to the knee joint). It is the same that the rotational resistance of the MR fluid cylinder is controlled by a sensor in each stage and stepping period. Moreover, it may have both an ankle joint function and a knee joint function. Although the control is complicated, the output from the sensor may be output to the MR fluid cylinder by a program. Further, it may be worn on the upper limb. Specifically, an elbow joint function and a wrist joint function are provided. The control in this case is generally manual.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lower structure body 2 Upper structure body 3 Stator 3a Casing 4 Rotor 5 Foot joint 6 Footrest part 7 Lower support | pillar 8 Mounting body 9 Upper support | pillar 10 Weir body 10a Knock pin 11 Fluid chamber 12 Shaft part 13 Partition plate 14 Front chamber 15 Rear chamber 16 Stator chamber wall 17 Communication passage 18 Guide passage 19 Arc-shaped passage 20 Communication passage 21 Buffer chamber 22 Spring 23 Adjustment plate 24 Pin 25 Electromagnet 25a Power line 26 Foot joint 27 Cylinder chamber 28 Cylinder 29 Front chamber 30 Rear chamber 31 Piston 31a Piston rod 32 Connecting shaft 33 Arm 34 Connecting pin 35 Cylinder chamber wall 36 Communication passage 37 Electromagnet 37a Power line 38 Communication hole 39 Overpass passage 40 Packing 42 (for weir body) Packing 44 (for partition plate) Magnetic seal 50 Cover

Claims (6)

A lower limb joint orthosis in which a lower structural body 1 that supports a foot and an upper structural body 2 that is attached to a lower limb are connected by a joint 5 so as to be able to bend and stretch in a vertical direction at a position corresponding to an ankle joint;
The joint 5 is
An MR fluid whose viscosity is changed by a magnetic force is sealed in a plurality of fluid chambers 11 formed in a fan shape by partitioning a short cylindrical sealed space in the circumferential direction, and either the lower structure 1 or the upper structure 2 is sealed. An attached stator 3 ;
A shaft portion 12 which is set at a joint position and supported rotatably at the center of the stator 3, and protrudes from the shaft portion 12, and is located in each fluid chamber 11 disposed around the shaft portion 12. And the rotor 4 having a partition plate 13 that secures the front chamber 14 and the rear chamber 15 in the front and rear,
Provided with away from the fluid chamber 11 the communication passage 17 that communicates the front chamber 14 and rear chamber 15 of the particular fluid chamber 11 to the stator 3, the front chamber 14 of the respective fluid chambers 11 on the shaft portion 12 of the rotor 4 And a communication passage 20 for communicating the rear chambers 15 with each other,
Disposing an electromagnet 25 on the side surface of the communicating passage 17, the communication passage 17 to control the viscosity of the MR fluid flowing by adjusting the magnetic force based on the electric power supplied to the electromagnet 25,
A lower limb joint orthosis in which the rotational resistance of the lower structural body 1 and the upper structural body 2 is adjusted. The communication passage 17 is a belt-like passage formed between two specific semicircular passages that connect the front chamber 14 and the rear chamber 15 of the specific fluid chamber 11 with the guide passage 18 respectively.
The lower limb joint orthosis according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnet 25 is a circular magnet surrounding the communication passage 17 . The lower limb joint orthosis according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fluid chamber ( 11) is divided into three chambers, and the partition plate ( 13 ) rotates within a range of 60 ° in each fluid chamber ( 11 ). A lower limb joint orthosis in which a lower structural body 1 that supports a foot and an upper structural body 2 that is attached to a lower limb are connected to be able to bend and stretch in the vertical direction of a body by a joint 26 at a position corresponding to an ankle joint,
The joint 26 ;
The cylinder chamber 27 is composed of a cylinder 28 filled with an MR fluid whose viscosity is changed by a magnetic force, and a piston 31 which is inserted into the cylinder chamber 27 with a front chamber 29 and a rear chamber 30 secured in front and rear,
One end of the cylinder 28 or the piston 31 and sets the joint position, in addition to providing a communication passage 36 that communicates the front chamber 29 and rear chamber 30 of the cylinder chamber 27 to the outside of the cylinder chamber 27, the electromagnet to the side of the communicating passage 36 37 , and controls the viscosity of the MR fluid flowing through the communication passage 36 by adjusting the magnetic force based on the electric power supplied to the electromagnet 37 ,
A lower limb joint orthosis in which the rotational resistance of the lower structural body 1 and the upper structural body 2 is adjusted. Communication passage 36 is communicated with the center of the cathodic passage 39 formed in the chamber wall 35 of the cylinder 28, lower limb joint orthosis according to claim 4 electromagnets 37 are rectangular magnet surrounding the cathodic passage 39. A control method for a lower limb joint orthosis that controls the rotational resistance of the rotor 4 and the stator 3 or the advance / retreat resistance of the piston 31 and the cylinder 28 in the joint orthosis according to claim 1,
A method for controlling a lower limb joint orthosis comprising attaching a sensor for detecting a load to the back surface of the lower structure 1 and controlling the resistance by adjusting the power supplied to the electromagnets 25 and 37 according to the output of the sensor. .

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